


For Your Precious Love

by niijimas



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 18:23:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19256668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niijimas/pseuds/niijimas
Summary: Paired up by a dating program that puts an expiration date on all relationships, Akira and Makoto soon begin to question the systems logic.





	For Your Precious Love

**Author's Note:**

> So, "Black Mirror" did a great episode called "Hang the DJ" and I figured it couldn't hurt to adapt the episode into some fun Persona feels. Enjoy.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

With work, she has limited free time as it is and now dating? She's 24! She has plenty of time to meet people and immerse herself into the mundane world of small talk once her career is stable.

However...The System _does_ promise to find the perfect match for everyone, and she'd be lying if she said her curiosity hadn't peaked at the possibility of finding her universe appointed "perfection".

It can't hurt. Just one date.

\---

Arriving at the end of a large footpath, she notes a large, extravagantly lit mansion in the near distance.

"Coach?" she asks, seemingly to no-one.

_"Yes, Makoto?"_

"Where do I go?"

The strange little device sits comfortably in her palm when it responds. The blue light illuminating her face and nothing more. It's little more than a disc with a touch screen, some sort of phone.

_"Proceed to The Hub."_   It instructs.

So she does.

\---

The Hub turns out to be a structure beyond her expectation, curved walls and perfectly placed wall sconces amidst artwork and bars. Bars that she can assume are worth more than her yearly paycheck.

It's not as though this level of class is out of her scope, she sees plenty working for the Shibuya PD, it's more that although she's definitely seen things like this, she's never had time to truly absorb it.

Upon finding the restaurant, Makoto finds herself greeted by a smiling waiter who points her in the direction of her booth. Her booth that sits surrounded by other booths. In a restaurant full of tables for two.

Because she's here to date. A fact she had conveniently forgotten amidst her admiration.

She takes a comfortable but awkward seat on the side that faces the door, reminding herself that it can't hurt to be prepared for whoever she's meeting. Her dress feels too loose, and then too tight, and before long she's berating herself for even choosing a black dress in the first place. What is this? A funeral?

She notices him long before he notices her.

In truth, it's oddly difficult not to.

For all intents and purposes, it is essentially a blind date, so it's not as though she can be certain that he is the man she's here to meet. 

Something in her gut feels funny.

He's standing idly in the entryway, speaking to his device as he holds it mere inches from his face. From where she sits, Makoto thinks she sees him frown and there's a brief beat of panic.

He could have asked about her. Right? Her profession, her lifestyle, her interests.

She uses fruit shampoos. Perhaps he doesn't like the smell? Maybe he's allergic?

_Breathe._

He shifts awkwardly on his feet before scanning the room, eyes meeting hers, and for a brief second it feels as though she's sitting on air.

He crosses to her booth, their booth, in a few confident strides and in her panic to greet him, Makoto manages to launch a fork across the room.

_Get it together!_

Bending down to grab it, she curses herself before straightening up and offering him a self-conscious smile.

"Sorry, fork." she mutters, brandishing it in front of him as if he doesn't know what a fork is.

"Akira." he chuckles, offering her a wave.

_Shit._

"No, sorry, my name isn't Fork."

"I guessed as much, I was just-"

"It's Makoto. Uh. Do you want to sit? Shall we sit?" Her hand moves out in a gesture toward the booth and she grips the fork tighter on instinct, not wanting to launch it again, furthering her embarrassment.

"I think it's that or we stand." the man says with a laugh, nervous but not unfriendly, and Makoto feels herself relax slightly.

Only slightly.

"After you then," she offers, stepping aside as Akira takes a seat - in Makoto's spot.

"Oh, that's - uh, that's my side." _What the fuck?_

Akira moves to stand. "Oh, shall I swap?"

"No, no! It's not important. Sorry," _Again, what the fuck?_   "I'm honestly incredibly nervous. It's my first time."

If he's shocked, he does well not to show it.

"My first time using the system." she clarifies.

At this, his eyes widen behind his glasses. "Me too!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I am shitting myself."

The noise that leaves Makoto's mouth is as close to a laugh as she's heard from herself in months. Looking at his face, he's just as surprised as she is.

"Come to mention it," she edges. "you look terrified."

He quirks an eyebrow and Makoto notes how impossibly unfair it is that he could be this attractive while anxious. "Do I?" he challenges.

She giggles, another noise she hasn't made in a while. "You're practically quaking with fear, sir."

His eyes narrow. "Or maybe shaking with revulsion."

Is he...teasing her?

"Well Akira, at least you've stopped shitting."

"Are you sure about that?"

Makoto giggles again. "Should we perhaps, stop talking about shitting?"

"Yes, I like that plan. Would you like to order some food?"

Makoto had almost forgotten they were in a restaurant. In truth, she had near forgotten they were not alone.

"Do you know how we order?" he adds uncertainly, scanning the table for a menu or any means of actually acquiring the food.

"I actually think we use these," she holds up her device. "Uh Coach? May we have a menu-"

_"Menu choice already established."_

They share a confused look that gets cut short by the arrival of their food, placed delicately in front of them without a word.

"Evidently, I am a pasta man."

"And I am a..." Makoto regards her plate. "Fishcake?" There was no option to enter food preference when her friend had registered her. The System had chosen for her. Again.

Seemingly satisfied with his dish, Akira commences eating and so she follows suit, the two of them commenting on how nice the food actually is around mouthfuls.

"Can I try some?" she asks.

Akira chances a glance around the restaurant. "Are we...allowed to do that?"

Makoto follows his gaze to see a man in the entryway. He seems to be scanning the room but not settling on anyone in particular. Certainly not settling on them.

"Fuck it." Akira spears a pasta shell onto his fork before reaching across to her side of the table.

"Yeah," she adds. "Fuck it."

The pasta is delicious, almost a comforting reminder of home. What's less comforting is the gaze boring into the back of her head from the man in the entryway, the two of them seemingly having earned his settled attention.

"So, we're both first-timers!"

Makoto turns back to him, nodding as she finishes her mouthful of pasta.

_Don't panic. It's fine. You did nothing wrong._

"Should we check our expiry date?" Akira asks, noting her distraction.

Oh yes, she thinks. Their expiry. The date in which their courtship will inevitably end. The System kindly factoring all variables, even those unknown to the two of them. "Good plan."

The two of them lift their discs from the table, staring at the screens after navigating to the 'info' tab.

"We have to tap to reveal at the same time." she offers up as she scans the screen. "So, shall we go on three?"

Akira just nods, glancing up at her periodically and offering a smile.

"So, three, two, one!" she counts down.

_Six weeks. At the least, give me six weeks with him._

The screen beeps once before the time fades into view.

"12 hours," Akira notes with a distinct layer of disappointment.

"Yeah, 12 hours."

Akira places the disc on the table, picking up his glass of water and taking a large sip, not meeting her gaze.

"That's...a little short, isn't it?" she whispers.

"Is it, yeah."

The device now begins counting down, displaying their eventual parting, down to the second.

"Oh it's getting shorter," Akira mutters. "I didn't realise it would count down like that. It's sort of sad."

Makoto realises the pit in her stomach isn't due to hunger, it's due to sadness. Her eyes feel heavy and hot, her throat constricting slightly as she moves to speak. "Maybe we should eat quickly?" she jests, hoping to ease their sudden mood shift.

"Yeah," Akira smiles. "Yeah, maybe we should."

\---

The strange thing about The System is, ironically, how it works like a system.

After eating at a restaurant chosen by them, with a man and menu also out of her control, Makoto now finds herself waiting for a pre-booked car. A car not booked by her.

"So, this takes us to the place?" Akira asks as he assesses the lack of driver.

"Yes, I would assume so."

Akira enters first, holding a hand out for Makoto who takes a seat beside him. Their journey is made in silence, Makoto only offering up a statement on the size of the wall they travel past. Akira hums an agreement but adds nothing further.

The first thing she notices about their apartment is that it has a porch swing. Something she's seen in movies but never in real life. It feels almost silly, being amazed by a swing, so she opts not to voice her interest.

The car doesn't wait for them to go inside, instead pulling away as soon as they exit, leaving the two of them here for the night. The whole night. Together.

_Breathe._

"So," she offers hesitantly. "Do you want to open it, or shall I?"

"You go ahead," Akira says with a smirk.

She mumbles an affirmation as she raises her hand, willing it to stop shaking.

"Ha! Too slow!"

Makoto jumps as he shouts, watching as his hand beats hers to the scanner, the yellow screen beeping twice before turning green. He's beaming at her, a childlike innocence in his eyes.

"Oh god, it's disgusting."

The innocence drains from his face instantly upon watching her open the door. "You're kidding."

"I am." she agrees with a smile.

It's actually a quaint apartment. The decor is modern but not unwelcoming and Makoto notes the beautiful fireplace separating the lounge from what looks to be a bedroom. She watches intently as Akira spins through the room, taking it all in.

"It's nice," he says. "I uh, I like that lamp."

The lamp he gestures to is unimpressive. A simple white base with a yellow shade.

"Yes, it's incredible."

He laughs, and Makoto relaxes at his acknowledgement of her teasing. "Fuck off."

It takes a moment for either of them to realise they've gravitated towards the bedroom as they've walked, a large bed now only a few feet in front of them. She catches herself glaring at it, as though it's some kind of hideous monster and Akira exhales heavily before striding toward the door on the right side of the room.

"Bathroom" he calls over his shoulder, poking the door awkwardly.

"Yeah, right, I actually...uh..." Makoto gestures back towards the lounge. "I'm going to go...over there." She waits, watching as the door slides closed behind Akira before she frantically rushes back into the lounge.

The device in her pocket lights up as she pulls it out, whispering into it with a slight panic to her tone.

"Are we supposed to just have sex with each other?!"

She doesn't hate the idea. Akira is incredibly handsome. Funny. Charming. He didn't seem too rattled by her throwing a fork across a crowded restaurant either. But this is their first and only date. Isn't it a little soon to be jumping into bed with each other?

_What if it's the worst sex in the world? You've hardly had much practice._

_...What if it's brilliant?_

"Shut up." she whispers to herself, shaking her head.

_"Participants are not required to take any specific action."_

Fantastic. "Yeah, but...I mean we can, right? People do if it's just a short amount of time?"

_"If that's your decision."_

"It's up to us?"

_"It's up to you."_

Hearing the bathroom door open once more, Makoto practically throws the device back into the pocket of her coat before launching herself onto the nearest loveseat.

"I could just sleep here." _Fantastic work, Makoto. That doesn't seem weird at all._

Akira shakes his head. "Don't be ridiculous, you'll be all scrunched up."

The logical thing to do would be to discuss things with him, like an adult, since that's what they both are. Instead, Makoto opts to lie down in demonstration of how her small frame would fit fine.

_Really?_

"It's not awful." she offers.

Akira, smiling wryly now, shakes his head again. "The bed is pretty big, I'm sure we could both fit in it."

Makoto feels her face flush red again before her heart starts to pick up in pace. "Yeah, yeah okay." she says, almost launching herself off of the couch.

\---

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued...
> 
> As always, you can find me at v-elvetrooms.tumblr.com


End file.
